Gun trigger locking device



Nov. 14, 1967 T. M. MCDONNELL GUN TRIGGER LOCKING DEVICE Filed July ll,1966 *40 \nvem`or ThomosMMDonnell Attorney United States Patent()3,352,047 GUN TRIGGER LOCKING DEVICE Thomas M. McDonnell, 2918 MadisonSt., Bellwood, lll. 60104 Filed July 11, 1966, Ser. No. 564,056 2Claims. (Cl. 42-70) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A gun trigger lockingdevice having a body for attachment to a horizontal section of a guntrigger guard and a pair of laterally spaced, parallel, horizontal armseach presenting a pair of oppositely facing, generally vertical surfacesany one of which can be disposed for engagement with a vertical surfacepresented by the trigger to prevent accidental movement of the trigger.

This invention relates to safety devices for firearms, and moreparticularly to a trigger locking device for guns.

The invention comprehends an improved locking device which can bereadily clamped on the trigger guard of a gun to prevent the accidentalor intentional discharge of the gun.

Although many trigger locking devices have been used in the past, mostof them have been complex mechanisms which have several pieces and whichrequire special adjustments in order to apply them to different gunswith various trigger guard arrangements. An example of this may be foundin United States Letter Patents Nos. 2,503,- 953 and 2,598,924 each ofwhich discloses a multi-piece structure requiring a lateral adjustmentwhen the device is applied to a different gun.

A purpose of this invention is to provide a trigger locking device whichrequires no special adjustment or movement of parts when applying it toa different trigger guard arrangement from the one on which it waspreviously applied.

It is a primary object of the invention to provide a locking device ofsimple design and construction which can be readily attached to thetrigger guard of a gun, and which can be readily removed, but only withthe aid of a simple tool which is not available to the general public.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a gun triggerlocking device which can be used on different types of guns with varyingspaces between the triggers and trigger guard sections.

A more specific object of the invention is the provision of a guntrigger locking device having a body with an internal locking screw forattachment to a horizontal section of a gun trigger guard and a pair oflaterally spaced, parallel, horizontal arms each presenting a pair ofoppositely facing, generally vertical surfaces any one of which can bedisposed for engagement with a vertical surface presented by the triggerto prevent the movement of the trigger relative to the trigger guard.

These and other objects of the invention will be apparent from anexamination of the following description and drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is an exploded, perspective view of a trigger locking deviceembodying features of the invention, with the locking screw and keyshown removed from the body Of the device;

FIGURE 2 is a side elevational view of the structure illustrated inFIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a transverse, vertical section taken on line 3-3 of FIGURE1, with a portion of a trigger guard shown clamped in the device; and

FIGURES 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 are side elevational views similar to FIGURE 2but of reduced size showing the Idifferent positions in which the devicecan be applied to different types of trigger guard arrangements.

3,352,047 Patented Nov. 14, 1967 It will be understood that, forpurposes of clarity, certain elements have been intentionally omittedfrom certain views of the drawing where they are illustrated to betteradvantage in other views.

Referring now to the drawing for a better understanding of theinvention, and particularly to FIGURE l, it will be seen that thetrigger locking device is a one-piece unit indicated generally at L,with an internal locking screw S which can only beoperated by a specialkey K in a manner hereinafter described.

The locking device includes a generally vertically disposed body 10having a threaded, vertical, cylindrical opening 12 extending completelytherethrough from top to vbottom for receiving locking screw S.

Still referring to FIGURE 1, it will be seen that screw S has a flat,upwardly facing surface 14 on its upper end and on its lower end has ahead with a downwardly extending ridge 16 which is adapted to mate witha complementary groove or channel 18 in the head of key K. Thus, whenthe screw is in locking position, with its head recessed up in opening12 of the body, as shown in FIGURE 3, the head of the screw can only berotated by means of the special key.

Extending upwardly from one side of the body adjacent opening 12 is avertical wall or support member 20 which is preferably formed integrallywith the body and which presents a vertical abutment surface 22 facingthe body opening 12.

Extending horizontally from, and preferably formed integrally with, Wall20 is a first arm 24 disposed to extend over the body and form with thewall and body a horizontally disposed opening or slot 25.

As best seen in FIGURE 3, first arm 24 presents on its underside adownwardly facing, horizontal surface 26 disposed opposite upwardlyfacing surface 14 of the locking screw. If desired, surface 26 may beprovided with serrations 28 to provide a better clamping effect.

At its free or outer end first arm 24 is provided with a preferablyintegrally formed, depending retaining lip 30 which presents an inwardlyfacing, vertical abutment surface 32 disposed opposite vertical surface22 on wall 20.

As best seen in FIGURE 3, first arm 24 presents a pair of rearwardly andforwardly facing generally vertical rear and front surfaces 34 and 36,respectively, which may be inclined slightly, if desired, to convergeupwardly.

As best seen in FIGURE 2, vertical wall 20 may be provided with alaterally extending, preferably integrally formed, connecting section ormember 38 Which extends at right angles to first arm 24.

As best seen in FIGURE l, there is preferably formed integrally with andextending horizontally outwardly from connecting section 38 a second arm40 which is spaced from and generally parallel to first arm 24. Secondarm 40 also presents a pair of generally vertical, rearwardly andforwardly facing rear and front surfaces 42 and 44 respectively.Although surfaces 42 and 44 are shown in the drawing as -straight up anddown vertical surfaces, they may be inclined slightly, as desired.

Operation of the -device is extremely simple and requires no specialadjustment when changing from one gun to another because of therelationship of the first and second arms to each other and because eachof the arms presents a pair of oppositely facing generally verticalsurfaces.

To apply the device to a gun, the device is slipped over the triggerguard with the horizontal or bottom se-ction of the trigger guard beingreceived in slot 25 between the first arm and the body of the device, asshown in FIGURE 3. At the time the device is applied to the triggerguard of the gun the device is positioned in such a manner that any oneof the four generally vertical surfaces presented by the two arms isdisposed in abutting engagement with a rearwardly facing, generallyvertical surface of the trigger itself. Various positions are shown byway of example in FIGURES 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8.

It will be noted that when the device is applied to a gun having twotriggers, it is positioned so that two of the four generally verticalsurfaces presented by the two arms are each disposed in abuttingengagement with one of the rearwardly facing, generally verticalsurfaces of each trigger.

After the device has been properly positioned on the trigger guard ofthe gun, locking screw S is tightened by means of special key K untilthe bottom section 54 of the trigger guard is clamped tightly betweenupwardly facing surface 14 of the locking screw and downwardly facingsurface 26 of the rst arm.

Vertical abutment surfaces 22 and 32 presented by the vertical wall andlip, respectively, serve as a positive stop means for preventing thedevice from being forced laterally off the trigger guard once it hasbeen clamped in position. The only way it can thereafter be removed isby loosening the locking screw with the special key.

I claim:

1. In a unitary safety device adaptable for detachable lockingconnection, Without requiring any mechanical adjustment of parts, to anyone of several different types of guns with varying trigger and triggerguard arrangements each having at least one generally verticallydisposed trigger surrounded by a looped-shaped trigger guard having apair of front and rear generally vertical sections interconnected by abottom generally horizontal section, the combination of:

(a) a body having a vertical opening extending therethrough from top tobottom;

(b) a locking lscrew threadably positioned within said opening andpresenting on its upper end an upwardly facing surface;

(c) a support member upstanding from said body at one side thereof;

(d) a rst arm extending horizontally from said support member over saidbody and presenting on its underside a downwardly facing surfaceopposite the upwardly facing surface of said locking screw forcooperation therewith to clamp the horizontal section of a gun triggerguard therebetween;

(e) a second arm extending horizontally from said support member inparallel relation with but spaced laterally from said first arm;

(f) said rst and second arms each presenting a pair of oppositelyfacing, generally vertical front and rear abutment surfaces, any singleone of which can be disposed for engagement with a rearwardly facing,generally vertical surface of the gun trigger when the device is clampedon the horizontal section of a gun trigger guard to prevent movement ofthe trigger relative to the trigger guard;

(g) said first arm having depending from its free outer end` a lippresenting an inner vertical surface operable as an abutment to engage aside edge of the trigger guard horizontal section and thereby preventthe device from being slipped laterally off of said trigger guard whenthe latter is clamped on the former.

2. A device according to claim 1, wherein said locking screw head has araised portion which is engageable with a complementary head of aspecial key to prevent the screw from being rotated by a conventionaltool.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,503,953 4/1950 Lind 42-703,066,433 12/1962 Rogers et al. 42-70 3,153,874 10/1964 Merrill 42-70 XBENJAMIN A. BORCHELT, Primary Examiner.

1. IN A UNITARY SAFETY DEVICE ADAPTABLE FOR DETACHABLE LOCKINGCONNECTION, WITHOUT REQUIRING ANY MECHANICAL ADJUSTMENT OF PARTS, TO ANYONE OF SEVERAL DIFFERENT TYPES OF GUNS WITH VARYING TRIGGER AND TRIGGERGUARD ARRANGEMENTS EACH HAVING AT LEAST ONE GENERALLY VERTICALLYDISPOSED TRIGGER SURROUNDED BY A LOOPED-SHAPED VERTICAL SECTIONS INTERAPAIR OF FRONT AND REAR GENERALLY VERTICAL SECTIONS INTERCONNECTED BY ABOTTOM GENERALLY HORIZONTAL SECTION, THE COMBINATION OF: (A) A BODYHAVING A VERTICAL OPENING EXTENDING THERETHROUGH FROM TOP TO BOTTOM; (B)A LOCKING SCREW THREADADLY POSITIONED WITHIN SAID OPENING AND PRESENTINGON ITS UPPER END AN UPWARDLY FACING SURFACE; (C) A SUPPORT MEMBERUPSTANDING FROM SAID BODY AT ONE SIDE THEREOF; (D) A FIRST ARM EXTENDINGHORIZONTALLY FROM SAID SUPPORT MEMBER OVER SAID BODY AND PRESENTING ONITS UNDERSIDE A DOWNWARDLY FACING SURFACE OPPOSITE THE UPWARDLY FACINGSURFACE OF SAID LOCKING SCREW FOR COOPERATION THEREWITH TO CLAMP THEHORIZONTAL SECTION OF A GUN TRIGGER GUARD THEREBETWEEN; (E) A SECOND ARMEXTENDING HORIZONTALLY FROM SAID SUPPORT MEMBER IN PARALLEL RELATIONWITH BUT SPACED LATERALLY FROM SAID FIRST ARM; (F) SAID FIRST AND SECONDARMS EACH PRESENTING A PAIR OF OPPOSITELY FACING, GENERALLY VERTICALFRONT AND REAR ABUTMENT SURFACS, ANY SINGLE ONE OF WHICH CAN BE DISPOSEDFOR ENGAGEMENT WITH A REARWARDLY FACING, GENERALLY VERTICAL SURFACE OFTHE GUN TRIGGER WHEN THE DEVICE IS CLAMPED ON THE HORIZONTAL SECTION OFA GUN TRIGGER GUARD TO PREVENT MOVEMENT OF THE TRIGGER RELATIVE TO THETRIGGER GUARD; (G) SAID FIRST ARM HAVING DEPENDING FROM ITS FREE OUTEREND, A LIP PRESENTING AN INNER VERTICAL SURFACE OPERABLE AS AN ABUTMENTTO ENGAGE A SIDE EDGE OF THE TRIGGER GUARD HORIZONTAL SECTION ANDTHEREBY PREVENT THE DEVICE FROM BEING SLIPPED LATERALLY OFF OF SAIDTRIGGER GUARD WHEN THE LATTER IS CLAMPED ON THE FORMER.